Revenue forecast flat…
Oregon’s economy is improving and continues to recover from recession, but state revenues remain relatively flat. Oregon State Economist Tom Potiowsky presented his latest quarterly revenue forecast to lawmakers in Salem yesterday saying Oregon has “made the turn” from recession to recovery. At times it may not feel like it. Potiowsky’s forecast confirmed what lawmakers already suspected: that general fund revenue for the current biennium ending in June will close $1.1-billion below the forecast issued 21-months ago when the legislature finished up the current budget. House Republican leader Kevin Cameron says the forecast shows continued weak job growth and declining business tax revenue. Oregon’s unemployment rate persists at 10.6 percent says Potiowsky. But, he adds, corporate profits have risen rapidly in the past several months… along with corresponding tax collections. Personal income tax collections have recovered slightly, but still remain below projections. Oregon House Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan, a Democrat, issued a statement with his Republican counterpart Bruce Hanna, saying the forecast provides more certainty about the funds available for the coming months and is a reminder of the difficult budget decisions still facing the legislature.
For several years the KUSH Band, a popular local rock and blues band, has been playing benefit concerts and dances for people with a need. Any time they’re called to help out, they jump in. Now they’re aiding one of their own. Kush front man Frank “Harpo” Welles lost his home on the Siuslaw River to fire in November… along with nearly every thing he owned. They’ll be holding a benefit dinner and performance this Saturday night at the Florence Events Center from seven to eleven. The cover charge is $5. Red Rose Catering will be offering dinner. There’ll be a cake auction and the band has recorded a 6-song cd just for the occasion.
The Florence Rotary Club has been providing scholarships for high school students since the club was formed 51 years ago. 31-years ago one of those scholarships went to Shasta Hoberg McMullen who used the money to stay close to home while she attended classes at Lane Community College. She called it a “great start to her business career” as she and her husband, Kevin, eventually took over a family business started by Shasta’s grandparents in 1945. Both of the Mcullen children also received Rotary scholarships: Anthony graduated from Oregon State in 1996; McKenzie from Western Oregon University in 1999. Each year the Florence Rotary Club raises thousands of dollars that are eventually passed on to Siuslaw and Mapleton graduates. Their annual dinner and auction is set for March 12th.
The largest one-week increase in several months was recorded at the gas pumps in Florence this week as the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded increased by six cents a gallon to $3.15. Oregon’s statewide average, as measured by Triple-A went up three cents to $3.27. The national average price went up about a half penny this week to $3.12 a gallon.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
BEND, Ore. (AP) - A heavy, wet snowfall in central Oregon turned
highways slick and triggered numerous electrical outages from
downed power lines. The storm also delayed or canceled classes
around the area. The Deschutes (duh-SHOOTS') County sheriff's
office reported that the county 911 center lost power and phones
for more than an hour yesterday. Nine inches of snow fell near
Bend.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Multnomah County grand jury has indicted
for murder just one of three people arrested in the death of an
Oregon City man, deciding it appears the other two were just
beating him up. The Oregonian reports 33-year-old Anthony Lee
Benjamin IV was indicted for murder.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - State Attorney General John Kroger has filed
a lawsuit alleging the founder of two charities kept at least
$690,000 raised to help Oregon veterans. The lawsuit against
Gregory Warnock also claims he improperly used charitable donations
to make unreported political contributions.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a man stopped for
speeding recently on Interstate 5 had about two pounds of marijuana
stashed in a box decorated as a gift. Police say Robert Cowart is
from Laytonville, Calif. During the traffic stop, police say a drug
detection dog found the pot in Cowart's truck. KPTV says the man
was cited for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and
released.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A lawsuit alleges that a Scouts leader in
Portland subjected a boy to hundreds of instances of fondling,
sodomy, oral sex and masturbation in the 1980s, even though Scout
and Mormon Church leaders had been warned for years that the man
was an abuser. The suit was filed by two men who won a major abuse
suit against the Scouts last year.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Gov. John Kitzhaber is hiring back most of
the agency heads who worked for his predecessor. The Democratic
governor announced his picks to run most state agencies yesterday,
but he left acting directors in charge of seven departments. Most
of the 24 agency directors are holdovers from the administration of
Democrat Ted Kulongoski.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The FBI and Oregon law enforcement
agencies have urged the Portland City Council to reconsider its
decision to withdraw its officers from a terrorism task force. But
a civil liberties group says rejoining the group would
unnecessarily engage Portland officers in investigations that break
Oregon law.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The White House says President Barack
Obama will talk about the importance of education during his visit
Friday to the Intel plant at Hillsboro. Intel CEO Paul Otellini was
among 20 business CEOs who met privately with Obama in December.
Obama was last in Oregon in October at a rally for Democratic
gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber, the eventual winner.
MORO, Ore. (AP) - A Sherman County sheriff's deputy was pulling
over a pickup truck when he saw a stuffed sock fly out the window.
It turned out the sock contained marijuana and hashish.
The driver told Sgt. John Terrel he was trying to hide the sock,
but his pit bull mix dog grabbed it and wouldn't let go, enjoying a
tug-of-war game.
KGW reports the dog won the tussle on Feb. 9 and tossed the sock
out the window.
Sheriff Brad Lohrey said he wished everyone traveled with their
own personal drug dog.
The driver, 32-year-old Joel Dobrin of San Diego, was indicted
on drug possession charges.
Information from: KGW-TV, http://www.kgw.com/
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
The Mapleton Sailors took care of Triangle Lake 61-54 last night in a Mountain West boys’ playoff game. The Sailors will now face the league champion, McKenzie this evening at seven in the league playoff second round. A win would clinch an OSAA playoff berth for the Sailors. A loss means they would have to win one more game Saturday afternoon to advance.
There’s now a three-way tie for second place in the Far West girls’ basketball race. The Siuslaw Vikings came away with a 39-16 victory over South Umpqua to claim their share of the spot… North Bend downed Douglas 48-33 to give the Bulldogs their share… and the Sutherlin Bulldogs wound up with their portion by falling to Brookings-Harbor 58-24. For the boys last night, South Umpqua clinched at least a share of third place with a 56-52 victory over the Vikings in Florence. North Bend, already owning the league title, edged Douglas 59-52; Brookings Harbor dealt Sutherlin a loss, 46-38.
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